The standoff began Tuesday afternoon when Pierce County deputies tried to make contact with a Puyallup man named Chase Houston, who was holed up inside a storage unit in the 21600 block of Mountain Highway East.

Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ed Troyer said Houston was armed with several high-powered rifles and may have been suffering from mental illness.

"He made some statements about being a messenger from God and he believes he was a prophet and that the rapture is going to start today," Troyer said.

The standoff had been going on for hours when police say Houston opened fire. It's unclear how many shots were fired, but one deputy was grazed in the arm. That deputy is expected to be fine.

Deputies, along with a SWAT team, returned fire and used a "flash bang" grenade to get the man out. Just before 6 p.m., SWAT team members entered the storage unit and found Houston dead inside.

It's unclear if police shot the man or if he killed himself, Troyer said..